The second season of The Punisher starring Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle premiered on Netflix last week, but as the streaming-service have been giving the axe to most of their Marvel shows, such as Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Daredevil, it's far from a certainty that the series will return for a third season.
"It’s an unfortunate reality to any relationship between a network and a studio in that the network always has the right at any time to cancel a show," said executive producer Jeph Loeb while speaking with IndieWire. "And we’ve been very lucky that our shows have lived on, and that we’ve had the fun, but everyone can name a show that they love that has gotten canceled. But we do, and I think we’ve made it very clear, that this is not our call. This is Netflix’s call." The Punisher creator/show-runner Steve Lightfoot added that he'd be "very sad" if the series doesn't wind up being renewed, especially as he already has a pretty good idea of what form the third season would take.
Normally, by the time I end a season, I’m completely in the mode of the show for me. And so, I’m usually personally in a position where I could finish shooting Season 2 and just run straight into Season 3 because I’m excited about what it might be. So, I’ve got a pretty good idea about what it would be, should we get the go-ahead.
Steve Lightfoot continued: "My approach has always been with every show, make each season like it’s your last. Like, don’t leave anything in there you love, because you might not get a shot. It’s always been the nature of the business. But the goal at the end of Season 2 was to leave it at a place where people went, ‘Awesome, I can’t wait for Season 3.'" Lightfoot has previously teased that the third season will continue with Castle having fully embraced the mantle of The Punisher and explore "where that takes him and what problems that throws up for him as he follows that path. I can't say much more than that really. But yeah, we're hoping we get the good word and we go ahead and dive back in." If the series does join Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Daredevil in cancellation-land, Jon Bernthal told Variety that he's at peace with the possibility.
I know the reality of the situation and I’m at peace with it. I really only worry about the things I can control. When I’m playing the character and I’m doing the job and it’s right there in front of me, I do whatever I can to make it as good as I can. But in this business there’s so much we can’t control. Whatever is happening with these shows, these decisions are being made in rooms I’m not invited into and I’m OK with that.”
The second season of The Punisher is now streaming on Netflix, so be sure to check out a review from our own Alex Maidy right here.
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